


Mixed Signals

by mousapelli



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Drinking, Friends to Lovers, Getting Together, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-11
Updated: 2018-12-11
Packaged: 2019-09-16 05:12:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 877
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16947639
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mousapelli/pseuds/mousapelli
Summary: Takeda knows that he and Ukai are something, but he's not sure exactly what yet.





	Mixed Signals

**Author's Note:**

  * For [shabzulu](https://archiveofourown.org/users/shabzulu/gifts).



> Written for 2018 SportsFest, Bonus Round 1. Ukai/Takeda is my summer SASO/SportsFest OTP, every year.

At some earlier point, Takeda thinks that he originally had a grip on what his relationship with Ukai was. It started as casual acquaintance, veered briefly into telephone stalker, then settled into a much more acceptable co-worker spot when they began co-coaching the kids in earnest. But then something went heinously wrong, right about the time they started drinking together at training camp, and now sometimes they talk on the phone for two hours about practices and sometimes they stay up all night watching filmed matches and sometimes Ukai picks up Takeda in the school parking lot on a scooter he borrowed from his mother to take the two of them for ramen.

It's not even a cool motorcycle, it's a freaking scooter, so there's no reason for Takeda to be flustered over it AT ALL, and yet, here he is, clinging to Ukai's waist as they zip through rain-damp streets, hating himself for wanting to bury his nose in between Ukai's shoulder blades and just inhale.

"Okay, sensei?" Ukai asks over his shoulder when Takeda doesn't dismount right away after he's stopped.

"Yeah, uh-huh," Takeda mutters, sliding off. He strips off his suit jacket and throws it over the seat of the scooter, then loosens his tie. "Just hot. This humidity."

"Uh-huh," Ukai echoes. Takeda doesn't know whether he's imagining Ukai's gaze lingering at his throat as he loosens his tie, a light touch to the small of his back as he slides onto his stool at the counter, the casual brush of their elbows.

Everything is like that between them, maybe something but maybe not, and Takeda wishes he could bring the situation to a head but is afraid he's got it all, all wrong. But he's not brave or smooth enough for that, so instead he has a few beers too many along with his ramen and leans into Ukai just hard enough that it's explainable by the closeness of the seats at the ramen counter, hoping Ukai will show himself braver than Takeda.

But nothing more exciting happens than Ukai ordering a second serving of noodles, and eventually they both stand up, full and stretching out the kinks in their lower backs from slouching on the counter stools. Ukai throws his leg over scooter and looks back at Takeda, shrugging a shoulder.

"Your noble steed awaits," he says dryly.

"Oh god, what are we _doing_?" Takeda blurts; distantly he realizes that he might be a beer or two past his recommended limit.

Ukai squints at him. "Eh? I'm taking you home, sensei."

"I mean…yeah all right." Takeda's initiative melts away as quickly as it washed over him, leaving him limp and vaguely annoyed as he gets on the scooter and curls himself into Ukai's back. This is probably it, all that they should do, and he can live with that, he can, it's fine.

Once they reach the parking lot of Takeda's apartment building, the ride has sobered him up enough that Takeda is glad he didn't make a complete idiot out of himself. He murmurs a thank you and a goodnight as he clamors off the scooter, knees wobbling for a second before he rights himself and turns to go in.

"Oh, wait," Ukai says, reaching out and dragging Takeda back by pinching the edge of his shirtsleeve where it's cuffed up to his elbow. Takeda lets himself be turned around, frowning at Ukai in confusion. "Fuck it. I knew what you were askin' me, before."

"Uh-huh," Takeda says dully, bracing himself for Ukai to let him down. He'll be nice about it, Takeda is sure, and then they'll just pretend this never happened and maybe not drink alone together for a while, which is honestly for the best anyway.

He's more than a little stunned when Ukai cups his cheeks with rough, warm palms and leans in to kiss him soundly on the mouth. Ukai's mouth is wet and he smells like smoke, and Takeda opens and closes his eyes twice but it's still not a dream and Ukai is still kissing him.

Ukai pulls back after a dozen erratic heartbeats and eyes Takeda critically. "Yes? No? Sensei, I gotta tell you, I can't read what the heck you think about me at all."

"You can't what now?" Takeda says stupidly, because of all of his shortcomings, subtlety is definitely not one of them.

"You could just be a clingy drunk," Ukai says, looking away. "You could just be glad I'm doing so much coaching. You could like me a lot but not want to because of work. So could you maybe just…tell me? What you want me to do."

"I want you to stop being COOL!" Takeda exclaims in partially-drunk frustration, and then blushes furiously, glasses slipping down his nose. Ukai's eyebrows rise almost to his hairline. "And also to, um, maybe come inside because I want you to kiss me some more and the lady on the first floor likes to watch what the rest of us are doing from her window."

"See, now we're getting somewhere," Ukai agrees, giving Takeda a grin that makes him think that maybe it'll be all right even if neither one of them has half an idea what they're doing together.


End file.
